Skate board provided with longitudinally adjustable wheel carriage units



Feb. 15, 1966 D. BOSTICK 3,235,282

SKATE BOARD PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CARRIAGE UNITSFiled Feb. 9 1965 INVENTOR. 400/6 2 505776! United States Patent3,235,282 SKATE BOARD PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDI- NALLY ADJUSTABLE WHEELCARRIAGE UNITS Louis D. Bostick, 16343 Ludlow, Granada Hills, Calif.Filed Feb. 9, I965, Ser. No. 431,352 1 Claim. (Cl. 28087.04)

This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to animproved and versatile skate board for supporting a passenger in anupright position while coasting and featuring unique means for varyingits operating characteristics and the skill required to manipulate thedevice while underway.

A variety of skate board constructions have been in general use incoasting downgrade. Design changes made in recent years have increasedthe versatility of these devices and they have become attractive for useby adults as well as children. As heretofore made, such boards embody arigid long main body anda pair of carriage units immovably secured tothe underside of the board crosswise of its opposite ends.

By the present invention there is provided an improved and far moreversatile skate board having an unusually wide range of operatingcharacteristics and modes of use made available through the simpleexpedient of varying the length of the wheel base as well as theposition of this wheel base relative to the opposite ends of the board.By use of this expedient the wheel base may be madevery short or verylong 'and the wheel base proper may be shifted in either direction withrespect to the midlength of the board. Each of the wide variety of wheelbases and positions imparts its own distinctive operatingcharacteristics to the board and varies the skill required of the user.In some positions of the wheels the board is relatively easy to controlwhile in others a very considerable amount of manipulative skill anddexterity is required. In some positions the board is relatively easy tosteer along a complex path of travel whereas in others the board is morediflicult to handle and requires greater dexterity and skill.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention toprovide an improved skate board for use by a single passenger andfeaturing a versatile and readily adjusted wheel base.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a skate board havinga pair of carriage units adjustable to different selected positionsrelative to one another and to the opposite ends of the board.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a skate board havingcarriage units provided with simple means operable without need fortools to lock the carriage unit in any of a number of positionslengthwise of the board.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading thefollowing specification and claim and upon considering in connectiontherewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention;

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of theinvention:

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view on an enlarged scale takenfrom the plane generally indicated by line 2-2 on FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the broken line 3-3 onFIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4--4 on FIGURE 3; and

FIGURES 5 to 8 are side elevational views of the invention deviceshowing the wheels in different adjusted 3,235,282 Patented F eb. 15,1966 ice positions and indicating diagrammatically suitable ridingpositions for the user.

Referring initially more particularly to FIGURE 1, there is shown onepreferred embodiment of the invention designated generally 10. Thisskate board has a long, relatively narrow, fiat, rigid main .body 11supported from its underside by a pair of similar carriage units 12, 13.Each carriage unit is normally rigidly secured to the underside of theboard by suitable means such as the trackway means 14.

Referring now to FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, it is pointed out that eachcarriage unit includes a rigid base 16 having a pair of bosses 17, 18projecting downwardly therefrom and spaced apart along its longitudinalcenter line. An axle unit 19 includes a strut 20 having its upper endloosely socketed in boss 17 in accordance with conventional practice.Projecting forwardly from the axle unit is a bracket 22 seating aresilient rubber spool 23. A cap screw 24 extends loosely through thecenter opening in bracket 22 and through spool 23; into threadedengagement with boss 18. A lock nut 25 serves to lock the screw in adesired assembly position such that axle 19 has limited freedom to tiltand twist relative to bosses 17 and I8. Suitably secured to the outerends of axle 1? are a pair of broad wheels 26. It will be understoodthat the construction of the two similar carriage unit assemblies mayvary over a wide range and that the construction herein illustrated anddescribed is merely one of severalconventional constructions and, in andof itself, forms no part of the present invention.

As is best shown in FIGURE 4, the longitudinal lateral edges 39, 30 ofeach carriage unit base 16 are turned and inwardly bent into closesliding and gripping engagement with the complementally shaped flanges31 of the rackway member 14. This trackway member is securely anchoredalong the longitudinal center line of the skate board in any suitablemanner, such as by screws 33.

The means for locking the carriage units selectively in any of a largenumber of adjusted positions may take various forms. The meansillustrated here by way of example comprises a leaf spring 35 having oneend spot welded, riveted or otherwise secured to base 16 as indicated at36 (FIGURE 3). Rigidly mounted on the upturned outer end 37 of thisspring is a detent pin 38 normally seated in one of the openings 39spaced along the center of trackway 14. As will be readily recognized,detent spring 35 may be sprung outwardly to disengage the detent 38 fromopenings 39 while adjusting the carriage units to a diiferent adjustedposition along the trackway. Once in a desired position the spring isreleased to seat the detent in underlying opening 39.

Referring to FIGURES 5 to 8, it will be seen that the carriage units canbe adjusted to many different positions to provide short, long orintermediate sized wheel bases. Additionally these wheel bases can beadjusted to dilferent positions in either direction from the midpoint ofthe board. FIGURE 5 shows the device adjusted to provide a relativelyshort wheel base underlying the rear half of the board; FIGURE 6 shows asomewhat longer wheel base located at the forward end of the board; FIG-URE 7 shows a very short wheel base underlying the midlength of theboard, whereas FIGURE 8 shows a very long wheel base.

When the wheels are adjusted as shown in FIGURE 5 the user wouldnormally place his left foot between the two carriage units and placethe heel or toe of his extended right foot against the extended forwardend of the board. Pressure would then be applied by this extended footto apply pressure either to the right or the left of the leading end toguide the path of travel.

A quite different mode of use is represented in FIG- URE 6 wherein theweight of the rider is normally carried on one foot positioned wellforward of the other foot. The latter is then pressed against the rearend of the board similarly to that just described and guides the deviceas it proceeds along the desired path.

When the wheels are adjusted as shown in FIGURE 7, considerable skill bythe passenger is called for and many users tend to keep both feetplanted firmly in the general center of the board in slightly offsetrelation and to rely upon changes in the movement of the body to guidethe board.

The FIGURE 8 adjustment on the other hand requires little action by theuser other than to maintain his balance, the board tending to travel ina straight line. This adjustment is one frequently used by novices.

In connection with the foregoing, it will be understood that the designand arrangement of the two conventional carriage units is such that thedirection of sidewise tilt of the board causes the wheel axles to twistin opposite directions about a generally vertical axis passing throughtheir midlengths. Thus, if the rider tilts to the right, the forwardaxle twists slightly clockwise whereas the rear axle twists slightlycounterclockwise. The amount of twist determines the radius of the arealong which the board will travel. It will also be apparent that if thecarriage units are closely spaced lengthwise of the board, the radius ofthe arcuate path of travel will be appreciably less than when the wheelsare widely spaced apart, it being assumed that the degree of sidewisetilt is the same.

While the particular skate board herein shown and disclosed in detail isfully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantageshereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merelyillustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention andthat no limitations are intended to the details of construction ordesign herein shown other than as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A skate board device for use in carrying a passenger along a guided pathof a desired configuration while coasting thereon in a standing positionand using varying foot pressure applied selectively to the top of saiddevice to steer the same, said device having a long flat body supportedclose to the ground on a pair of independent carriage units havinglimited freedom to change positions relative to one another in responseto variations in the riders foot pressure and securing means includingmanually operated means for varying the positions of said carriage unitsrelative to one another and relative to the opposite ends of said bodythereby to vary the length of the wheel base between said units and theposition of said wheel base relative to the ends of said body, saidmeans for varying the positions of said carriage units comprising rigidtrackway means fixedlysecured to the underside of s-aid body, saidcarriage units and said trackway means having complementally shapedflange means extending parallel to the longitudinal center of said bodyand slidable relative to one another, and cooperating notch and detentmeans carried by said carriage units and trackway means, respectively,operable to lock said carriage units releasably in different selectedpositions along said trackway means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 200,917 4/1965Markham D. 34-26 310,923 1/1885 Wardwell 280-11.27 X 967,742 8/1910Eckart 280-1126 1,052,722 2/1913 Hegel a- 28087.02 2,027,620 1/1936Schaad 28087.04 2,664,294 12/ 1953 Kleinman 280-1127 3,023,022 2/1962Boyden 280-8704 FOREIGN PATENTS 554,951 3/1923 France.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner.

